Brazil’s presidential race is heading to a runoff on October 25 after neither Senator Flavio Bolsonaro nor President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured more than half of the valid votes in Sunday’s first round. Bolsonaro finished with about 47 percent and Lula about 45 percent, a stronger showing for the challenger than most pre-election surveys had predicted. Supporters of both campaigns gathered in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as the count unfolded, in scenes captured in this BBC News report. The runoff now becomes a contest for the voters of the eliminated candidates, several of whom have begun announcing endorsements this week.
Under Brazil’s two-round system, the presidency goes to a runoff whenever no candidate clears half of the valid votes, which is why the October 25 vote now becomes a contest for the supporters of the eliminated first-round candidates. Both campaigns are expected to concentrate on the southeast, home to the country’s largest share of voters, and on the endorsements being announced this week. The transfer of votes from smaller candidates, more than any new policy promise, is likely to decide which of the two finalists reaches the Planalto Palace.
Video credit: BBC News (official channel). Embedded from YouTube; no footage was downloaded or re-uploaded.
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